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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — for sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — a contest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. field — a subject
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. field — farmland
  22. chip — to eat
  23. race — humankind
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com